Evolving Mobile Wireless Platforms and Applications.

The improvement of technology has resulted a sophisticated invention such as wireless technology. According the information in IT & e-commerce guidebook of the government of United Kingdom, (www.businesslink.gov.uk, 2010, p.2) states that “the aim of wireless technology is to remove the restrictions of being attached to expensive and messy wires and cables, both inside the office and out. Wireless technology carries the capability of wired networks to areas that cables cannot reach”. Furthermore, the government of United Kingdom through their site differentiates wireless technology in to three kinds, which are Local Area Networks (LAN), cellular networks, and Personal Area networks (PAN). All of these wireless networks enable people to communicate one each other without depend on availability of wire. Borderless communication that is supported by invention of World Wide Web and improvement applications platforms have led to evolving of human accessibility through mobile devices. In this case, wireless mobile devices can be categorized as cellular networks. Recently, mobile devices that are supported by wireless, e-applications, are not only as communication tools, but also it can be used as media by which people can access information, knowledge, even able to facilitate people to do their job. A brief explanation about what mobile wireless platforms and applications are, and how the impacts to the people’s life, will be explained in the following paragraphs.

The functions of mobile devices improve a cellphone to become smartphone that enable people to handheld PCs, tablet, television, radio.

The movement of mobile devices technologies has impacted public services methods that are run by business and the government parties as well. Almost all companies and government parties created their own sites to provide information related to their companies, organization, and their business activities. Some of which have provided web application services that enable customers to access online services, such as online reservation, online procurement, and online public service.

Availability of e-services through the Internet has become one of indicators to measure the quality of services that are accomplished by private companies and the government institutions as well. People require not only prompt services, but also service that can be accessed by online, so they don’t need to be present at the venue. Technologies in smart phones enable people to access e-service, indeed some companies created e-services applications that are compatible to be embedded in mobile phones.

The mobile wireless platform and applications are supported by OECD through one of the basic principles for Internet policy making (OECD’s communiqué, 28-29 June 2011, p.3) states that “

Promote investment and competition in high-speed networks and services: High-speed networks and services are essential for future economic growth, job creation, and greater competitiveness and for people to enjoy a better life. Public policies should promote robust competition in the provision of high speed broadband Internet that is available to users at affordable prices and promote investment also to attain the greatest geographic coverage of broadband Internet. They should also promote an optimal level of investment by creating demand for high-speed broadband networks and services, in particularly in areas where governments play a key role such as in education, health, energy distribution and transport. Public policies should help foster a diversity of content, platforms, applications, online services and other users communication tools that will create demand for networks and services and to access a diversity of content, on non discriminatory terms, including the cultural and linguistic content of their choice.

The government institutions in all over the world follow this movement. In some countries, public services such as taxation, identity card, driving license can be done by e-services. The transformation of public services has been seen as one of effort to reduce the corruption, collusion opportunities, in owing to having transparency business process, and less of face to face communication between customers and services providers. The United Nations supports this movement by doing ranking of e-government that evaluates ICT strategy of a country, and e-public services as one of aspects has been evaluated.

It cannot be denied that accomplishment of e-public services more success and easier to be achieved in developed countries, such as the US, some Europe countries, Japan, Singapore. Whereas, in some developing countries, e-public services is still a step to be got through. Some circumstances, such as lack of infrastructures, and people’s literacy on technologies especially the Internet technology, are difficult to get by.

As the central government institutions, Ministry of ICT of Republic of Indonesia faces difficulties to have integrated e-service applications among the government institutions over all Indonesia regions. Owing to having decentralized governmental system, each the government institution in province and district region, has right to propose budget plan for creating service applications, which have same functions. These applications should be shared and can be modified, because it has been built by open source. Therefore, the idea to create integrated e-service application has been started. In order to start using one-platform applications, to prevent overlapping applications, and to reduce government’s expenses, also it is estimated that people can access it by using wireless technology.

In addition, the integrated applications and the wireless platform that is intended for public services, have been supported by OECD (OECD’s communiqué, 28-29 June 2011, p.3), states that “

“Promote and enable the cross border delivery of services; Suppliers should have the ability to supply services over the Internet on a cross border and technologically neutral basis in a manner that promotes interoperability of services and technologies, where appropriate. User should have the ability to access and generate lawful content and run applications of their choice. To ensure cost effectiveness and other efficiencies, other barriers to the location, access and use of cross border data facilities and functions should be minimized, providing that appropriate data protection and security measures are implemented in a manner consistent with the relevant OECD guidelines and reflecting balance among all fundamental rights, freedom and principles”.

The discussion related to mobile wireless platform and applications should be continued at the international level especially to set up the public policy guidance. Owing to empower every country in making national policies and regulations related to interoperability platform of applications, data protections, safety online transaction, customers protection, international standardization of e-service, copy rights applications, and improvement of people capability to use e-service.

I was wondering if you don’t mind to give your opinion, whether or not an International Organisation such as OECD should make and decide a communiqué that is used as basic principles for Internet policy making especially for mobile wireless platform and applications.

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